1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wall fixtures and, more particularly, to a wall anchor for use in different materials including friable materials, e.g. gypsum.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are various wall anchors available on the market, including plastic inserts which are hammered in a hole previously defined in a wall with a fastener, such as a screw, being then engaged in the plastic insert, causing it to expand such that the assembly of the insert and the fastener is set in the wall.
Toggle bolts also exist, wherein rotation of a bolt causes wings to deploy behind the wall and to ultimately abut the inside of the wall thereby firmly anchoring the bolt to the wall.
Both these types of anchors necessitate that a hole be previously drilled in the wall. On the other hand, there exists wall anchors defining a pointed cutting end and large threads, which are adapted to, in a single step, be rotatively driven in the wall thereby drilling their own hole in the wall with the large threads of the anchor compacting the gypsum and becoming firmly set therein. These types of anchors must be installed by way of a screwdriver and typically by a power driven screwdriver bit.
For instance, a screw tipped anchor with a toggle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,865-B1 which issued on Jun. 26, 2001 in the name of McSherry.
Also of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,295 that issued on Aug. 31, 1999 in the name of McSherry, which discloses a pair of separate components, namely a wall anchor and a fixture. The fixture, e.g. a hook, is secured to a friable wall using the wall anchor that is inserted through a hole defined in the fixture and then rotatably driven in the wall typically via a power driven screwdriver bit.